Sociological Survey

Delegates then heard from Dr. Sara Terian, who conducted the 2005 Assembly-requested sociological study of the Diocese.

“There were many things in this study besides the idea of getting back to the basis,” said Diocesan Council member Fr. Yeprem Kelegian. “It discussed the lack of welcome in our churches, the question of language, the Divine Liturgy not being accessible. We know that. We did not deem these things to be unimportant, however we deemed them secondary to getting back to the basics of having our people with deep understanding and relationship of Jesus Christ.”

Initial results were provided to the Council in 2006. They were also presented at the last Assembly. The Council last year then discussed the results further with clergy and parish leaders during regional meetings.

“There is a lack of knowledge in our people on the basics of our faith, the basics of our Bible, an understanding of who Jesus Christ is. It was seen that we are not nurturing our flock,” he said. “We know faith and culture are inseparable, but Dr. Terian found that those interviewed viewed the Armenian Church as a cultural organization in the context of faith, rather than a faith organization in the context of culture. That’s a huge difference. We hope in this coming year each of us present can reverse that.”

Dr. Terian said there has been a serious effort to take action in addressing the findings of the report.

“Members of the Armenian community in America look to the church to be a home; to be a home spiritually, socially, and culturally,” she said.

She noted the immigrant generation, who are used to going to the church in their native countries, do find it a home in all those three aspects.

“The challenge comes with the American-born, subsequent generations, whose culture is not the same anymore, who have become Americanized,” she said. “Yet they too are also looking to worship in the time-honored heritage of their Armenian Church. And they too would like to enhance their identity and cultural heritage their church provides.”

“Switching to English without addressing other issues will not do enough to make people feel at home in the Armenian Church,” she said. “On the other hand, teaching people Armenian without addressing the other issues will not make them feel at home. So I would like to emphasis the importance of looking at the bigger picture.”

“My prayer is the Diocese and local parishes will find ways to make people feel the Armenian Church is truly a home where they can worship God in meaningful ways and in which they find a caring community and a warm welcome,” she concluded.

Delegates said they were concerned that the study, while it is helpful, relied too heavily on interviews of those who are active in the church.

Dr. Terian said the in-person interviews involved a lot of church members because of the logistics of identifying and gaining approval for an interview from individuals.

“There really wasn’t any appreciable difference verses those referred to me and those who came to me through a random sample,” she said. “It is also good to hear from people involved in the church, because that gives us an idea of why they are involved in the church.”

“No social survey is adequate in getting everyone to respond because it is voluntary,” she said.

Some delegates noted that the issue of use of English in the liturgy remains important for parishes who want to try English as a way to make the church service more meaningful to members.

The Primate said they spoke to the Catholicos about the study and that he was pleased that the Diocese undertook such an extensive review of the community in a professional manner.

One delegate noted the sad fact that membership has fallen from 9,290 in 1989 to 8,238 last year. They noted that the nature of the parish communities have changed from neighborhood churches to serving a more regional population which requires the church to make an effort to bring the church to the people by having “satellite” sites for services.

Another delegate asked the Diocesan Council to address and identify progress made on each of the recommendations to strengthen the bond between the church and the parishioners listed in the report.

One delegate asked about a conclusion of the report, that there is a disconnect between what members desire and what the church provides spiritually and socially. “I have seen efforts, especially in terms of education,” she said. “Socially, it is difficult for some to feel that individuals will not feel at home in the Armenian Church. That is something that could be addressed right away by special training that will make the visitors to a parish really feel at home. But it takes time, the Diocese cannot address everything at once.”

She was also asked why interview subjects brought up the issue of the use of English in services. Dr. Terian said she asked interview subjects generally what their concerns for the church were and didn’t make suggestions and just noted that the issue came up often. Delegates wanted to know from the Diocesan Council how this issue would be addressed to make the church more welcoming to those unable to speak or understand Armenian.

One delegate said if someone doesn’t want to go to church, they will find an excuse and reason not to go. He reminded delegates that church life is not only worship, but also include fellowship, which is in English. He questioned how many people turn out for Bible studies and other events which are in English.

The Primate clarified that use of English in services is a decision of the Supreme Religious Council, which is made up of clergy and lay leaders from throughout the world.

“It’s healthy that we are discussing our opinions. But it is very important that we love and respect each other,” the Primate said. “When the English issue was brought up, I was just sad that it created divisions. We are like a family, sometimes there are agreements and sometimes disagreements but we remain a family. But today, I want to thank you that as we discuss this there is respect and love and unity in our family.”

One delegate said it is important to distinguish what is tradition from what is holy tradition.

Another delegate said the study showed that we need to better serve the parishioners and asked how parishes expect to draw new people if they can’t serve the needs of those already involved.

The Diocesan Council will follow up on the recommendations of the report and present those actions at the next Assembly.

Posted by Jake at May 5, 2007 12:53 PM